Sunday, December 16, 2007

Thought from the past!

LalCha from North-East...

It was very early morning and I was waiting alone in a private bus stand in Guwahati. I had just come from Tawang, but had reached the town at 3:30 am and it wasn't possible to go home then. Initially just waited on the road and once the waiting area opened at 5, waited inside.

I had made a couple of Assamese friends in the Sumo on my way from Tezpur and the three of us were waiting together. There was this guy outside selling LalCha. LalCha is basically lemon tea without milk and its quite amazing. It was just 2 bucks and very hot and I had many a steaming cups, which was a treat on a cold winter morning.

Inside, there was a special stall for buses going to Manipur and I inquired about traveling there. The guy on the booth was extremely friendly and tried selling me the tickets for the next bus itself (in fact he was also ready to make the inner line permit, then and there only)...and only I know how much I wanted to give in. But I had been warned and warned and warned again by everyone about my safety there! I had come so close to saying yes...

So odd...its a part of India, but so unsafe that its recommended that you don't go there! But why would anyone want to kill me, I am doing nothing? And I guess that's where the problem lies...we fail to understand. Its easy to look at things only in our own way and miss the other person's perspective. And maybe this is exactly what happened there...and still happening. We fail to belong to others' world and still try to make it our own. Whats the right thing for us may not be the right thing for others...and sadly this does not even cross our minds. For us our right is The Right! But what do they get from our right? Loads of unwanted guests...even people like me, who just want to see a beautiful place, experience a beautiful culture and then go back never to return. What do I give to a land that I claim to be my own? Nothing...

Am having LalCha after a long time in office right now as there is no milk...am glad I am, because it took me back to that chilly morning in Assam and the LalCha on the road! I am uncomfortable and disturbed, but am I ready for action...am I ready to stand by something that I believe so passionately that I would do anything for that?

4 comments:

hello....i swear....assam is not that unsafe......people are getting killed all over.....mumbai, hyderabad, allahabad....and so on....are those places safe...people come to north east and enjoy nature....especially Arunachal pradesH....its just amazing..........

Maybe we have a distorted perception of our own safety... we don't trust the friendliest places.. people.. just because we aren't familiar with them...... why cars are considered safer than aeroplanes but isnt it the other way around??

I agree Assam is not anymore unsafe than any other part in India. And in a way thats what I am trying to say. I could move around quite freely at 3:30 am on guwahati roads without any fears. And I would think twice before doing that in Delhi at least.

In fact, when this happened (i.e. these thoughts came to minds, more about Manipur actually) I was on my way back from Tawang In Arunanchal, which is one of the safest and friendliest places that I've ever been to.

And I agree we have some very distorted perceptions...about a lot of stuff. I felt so safe talking to the guy on the counter selling tickets for Mapipur, that I was actually tempted (and I swear it) to take the next bus to Imphal. But my stupid rationale came in, and I didn't. I am sure if I had, my North-East experience would've been changed dramatically. And a possible the adventure of my life was so close...and I missed it becoz of someone else's perception of my safety there...

can you tell me how you reached guwahati from tawang at 3. 30 am? As in i thought noone travelled at night in Arunachal- being quite unsafe because of the distance and the road conditions and mountain passes? So how dyu manage? it will REALLY help me in planning my trip to arunachal. thanks! :)